Of Visions and Vacations
by Les1
Summary: While on a trip to the beach, a vision leads Johnny to discover that a vacation is just what the doctor ordered.


This fic was written in response to a challenge give on the USA Dead Zone bboard. It was to be a fic Johnny and at least one other character from the show take a trip or vacation. Also included in the fic were to be the following: a bathing suit, a bottle of sun screen, a book, a cd player and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, used either as the product or by someone as a line of dialogue in the story. (And yes, I know I left one of the requirements out, but try as I might, I couldn't figure out how to fit the last one in.) I got the inspiration for this fic from a song called "Swimmin' in the Sea" by one of my favorite bands, Gaelic Storm. In case you're interested in reading them, I put them down at the bottom, after the fic.

Disclaimers: I don't own the characters of The Dead Zone. I also didn't write the song lyrics at the bottom there. I am making no money from this, so please don't sue me. If you do, pretty much all you'll get is an old computer that likes to crash and a hyperactive Jack Russell Terrier. Is it really worth it?

* * *

Of Visions and Vacations

The day was turning out to be beautiful. The sun was shining brightly. The waves were lapping peacefully against the shore and the sea gulls were flying overhead, looking for a midday snack of fish. The weather was gorgeous and the forecast called for more of the same for the next several days. The day was perfect and as he lounged on his beach towel, Johnny Smith intended to enjoy every minute of today and the rest of the week. It had been a while since he'd had a vacation and now he found that he was glad that he had agreed to it.

Bruce had brought up the idea of going out of town, just the two of them. He knew that Johnny needed a break, both from everything going on in his life and the visions too, if possible. Though he knew that he would never totally understand what his friend was going through with his visions, Bruce did know that it was usually hard on Johnny. He helped others while usually giving little thought to himself. If Bruce could help he would, even if it was just by getting the two of them out of Cleaves Mills for a week. When a coworker mentioned that she had a beach house to rent out for the summer it had been the perfect opportunity. Though he had at first resisted, Johnny had eventually agreed to the trip. Now he was glad that he had. It was just what the doctor ordered. "_Or the physical therapist, anyway_, " Johnny thought as he grinned to himself.

Bruce, who was sitting on his own blanket next to Johnny, noticed his expression. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I was just thinking how glad I am to be here. This was a good idea."

"Of course it was a good idea," Bruce said with a grin of his own. "I came up with it."

In response, Johnny sighed melodramatically, picked up the bottle of sunscreen that was sitting next to him, and then playfully tossed it at the other man.

"Thanks. I was just thinking that I should use some of this." Bruce took the bottle and put more of the lotion on. Then he took out his cd player, placed the headphones on his head, and stretched out, totally relaxed. That morning they had agreed to spend the day each doing what they wanted. Johnny could now see that for Bruce that meant taking a nap in the sun. So with nothing else to do, he took out the book he was currently reading. An hour later, he had finished it.

Laying aside the book, Johnny glanced over at Bruce and saw that he was still asleep. Getting up he decided to take a walk down the beach. Going slowly so that he could really take in his surroundings, Johnny thought again about how happy he was to be there. His life had been very complicated since he had awakened from the coma. With the visions, the changes in his life, and the pressure that both brought, he often felt overwhelmed. Sometimes it was hard for him to take. But looking at the sand, the ocean, and the cloud filled sky, he realized that it had been a while since he had taken time to just appreciate the simple things in life. He stood there with the water lapping at his feet, and knew now that there was a place where he could go to relax, forget about all the complications, and just enjoy life again. He sat down in the sand then, staying far enough away from the water so that it barely touched him. He closed his eyes, listening to the sounds around him.

He wasn't sure how long he sat there. He didn't move until he felt something gently brush against his leg. Opening his eyes, Johnny saw that a conch shell had washed up on the beach next to him. He quickly reached out and grabbed it before the tide took it away again. Immediately, he began to have a vision.

Johnny looked around and saw that he was on a beach, but he did not recognize it. Instead of the beach houses that had been behind him there was a rocky shore, with no houses or anything else around as far as the eye could see. The only people there were a man, a woman, a young boy, and a n older girl. They were walking, but the boy had fallen behind. Suddenly, he came running up to the man. He was holding something, but Johnny could not see what it was. "Look at this Dad. I found this over there by those rocks."

Moving closer, Johnny saw that it was the shell. "That's great Brian. That will make a great souvenir to show your friends when you get home."

"You mean I can keep it?"

"Sure. You found it. That means it's yours."

"But what if there's a crab that needs it to live in, you know, like my hermit crab. He changed his shell."

With a chuckle, the man placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "Well, it's up to you. It's yours, so you can do what you want with it."

After a thoughtful look crossed the boy's face for a few moments, he turned and threw the shell out into the water as far as he could. Then they turned and hurried to catch up with the other two who had continued walking.

Coming out of the vision, Johnny knew that someone was sitting beside him. He looked at the shell still in his hand and then at Bruce.

"You were just having a vision, weren't you?" At Johnny's nod, Bruce sighed. "Not of someone who needs help, I hope."

"No, not this time. It was nice. There was a family talking a walk and one of the kids had a shell. This shell. They were on a beach, but not this one. It just makes you wonder how far this thing has come. Out of all the oceans in the world, it ended up here for me to find." Johnny turned the shell, looking at it from every angle. Then he looked at Bruce. "Thanks, man. This is just what I needed."

"You're welcome." For a long while, the two sat in comfortable silence, looking out at the sea and the horizon. They both knew that nothing else needed to be said, until Johnny heard a strange sound coming from Bruce's direction. "Man, I'm starving. What do you say we go to that little seafood place we passed on the drive in? "  
  
"Sounds good to me. I could use something to eat. My stomach is growling."

"Yeah, I noticed," Bruce said and both men laughed as Johnny's stomach made loud grumbling sounds again. Placing the shell in the sand at his feet, Johnny watched as the tide took it back out to sea. Then he held out his hand so that Bruce could help him get to his feet. He knew that he would eventually have to go back to Cleaves Mills and to his life, but if he was completely honest with himself, he also knew that he wouldn't have it any other way. Though the visions were often a burden, he had helped a lot of people because of them. Whatever the cost, he wouldn't give that up. But until then, Johnny intended to enjoy the simple things and the rest of his vacation.

* * *

Swimmin' in the Sea by Gaelic Storm

When I was five, we'd get up at four

Drive all night down to Cornwall's shore

Our holidays had come at last

They came real slow they went by fast

Well, just one week was all we had

Then back to work went Mum and Dad

Chorus:

Happy to be swimmin' in the sea

The sea gulls yell, you're getting near

We'd waited patiently all year

And we hadn't slept a wink all night

White faces in the morning light

"I see the sea!" my sister cried

The seaside we'd soon be beside

Chorus

Down to the sand with our bucket and our spade

Behind our yellow wind barricade

We'd bury Dad up to his chin

On with our trunks we'd jump right in

'Round our waists a rubber ring and on each arm a water wing

Chorus

It's so cold and rainin' too

We'd stay all day 'til our lips turned blue

Only a week it wasn't fair

We're on Holiday and we don't care

In every pool stranded by the tide

Crabs and fishes under seaweed hide

We'd catch them all in our fishing net

As close to heaven as a kid could get

We'd dream of smugglers and pirate ships

Lunch was ice cream and a bag of chips

Chorus

To a kid of five that rocky shore

Was a magical place of tales and lore

Now the seagulls call once more to me

Hey come on back to the Cornish sea

Down by the water by the foam

Just one more week and I'm going home

Happy to be…

Happy to be…

Well I'm happy to be…swimmin' in the sea.


End file.
